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_ ww______-. BETWEEN RACES *o«ro* HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 18. — Horses and People: La Mesa Park at Raton, New Mexico, shattered all _ ww______-. records records last last summer summer by by records records last last summer summer by by averaging more than 00,000 per day, and this record is expected to be topped, and by a wide margin, during the coming meeting opening July 4. La Mesa operates Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and has the distinction of drawing its patronage from a further further distance distance than than further further distance distance than than any other American track. Its "territory" includes western Oklahoma, Kansas, southern Colorado, parts of west Texas as far as Amarillo, all of New Merico and eastern Arizona. . .The Delmar directors have agreed among themselves to lift purses substantially over their announced richest program in history if attendance and play increases materially over last year during the first week of racing at the surf and turf club . . . George Brent, who went "out" of racing, almost but not quite, last year, is beginning to rebuild his bloodstock holdings. His sire, Bull Root, has had but one starter at the races, and this is the somewhat sensational La Bull . . Bull Root, a son of Bull Lea — Bloodroot, did not race because of an injury . . . The Hollywood Gold Cup will be televised this year, and there is a chance it may be beamed east of the Rockies. No West Coast stake has ever been televised before, except locally. Hollywood officials hope it does go east, as they are anxious for people to see for themselves the beauty of the course and its amphitheatre paddock, a scene that mere words can never describe. AAA Hollywood Park trainers are searching for some new apprentice prospects, now that the "bugs" of most of the top ones in California have expired, or are about to expire. Perhaps the next "name" boys will emerge from Caliente, where more J,han 25 have been accepting mounts, although Longacres may come up with something maybe another Willie Marsh, who, while he started riding in Canada, did not get national recognition until he cut a wide swath in Seattle ... No changing human nature, we suppose, and apparently some folks will never learn. Last election day here, a day when sale of beer or spirits is strictly prohibited everywhere, a guy brought out several cases of iced beer, and f Del Mar Hopes to Boost Purses t Apprentice Prospects Search On Khaleds Juvenile Sire Position Daily Double Machines Shortage was doing a brisk business in the grand- i stand when nailed by the gendarmes, was given 10 days in the pokey for selling pot- | ables without a license. What made it | laughable was that the guy was liberally i sampling his own wares as well as dispens- j ing them. .Rex Ellsworth has an idea that ] Khaled may wind up the leading two-year- j old sire of the year, nationally as well as ] West Coastwise. The last time he looked, j Khaled had 11 juveniles to win, and some j of the best, including those in Chicago, j have yet to make their debuts . Bymea- j bond, winner of the Santa Anita Derby, is standing at the Las Vegas Ranch of J. , Kel Houssels, and while he hasnt had a visiting mare from California, hes prov- j ing very popular in Utah, where there is a mild upsurge in thoroughbred breeding interest. AAA The other day we mentioned the pending 1 reorganization of Las Vegas, and here is J the schedule as set by the U. S. Federal j Court: July 16, deadline for trustees report: l September 5, deadline for trustee to accept suggested plans for reorganization; Sep- 1 tember 5, deadline for trustee to present to the court said plan of organization or rea- t sons why it cannot be done; October 5, i hearing to decide upon a solution.* July 30 t has been set as the deadline for creditors t to lodge their claims . . A curious situation, although not entirely unexpected, has de- i veloped with the American Totalisator i Company anent its Daily Double machines. 3 When ordered by various race tracks, the 1 number was based upon current double 1 play. However, installation of the machines 1 in some sectors has boomed double turn- 1 over far above the tracks normal increase 1 in play, and there stilLis a great shortage 1 of machines. The tote company has about 300 machines, and is serving about 345 lo- a cations. This is made possible by carting 1 machines from one track to another daily, 1 the most notable between New York run- i ning and harness tracks. It will take an- 1 other two years, perhaps, to catch up with demand. AAA Longacres, which opens Friday, calls it- 1 self the "greenest race track in America" t i | | i j ] j ] j j j j , j 1 J j l 1 t i t t i i 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 a 1 1 i 1 1 ►and with a degree of truth. Speaking of green, considerable talk has been going on in the higher echelons at Atlantic City as to whether or not to pull out certain trees on the tracks forest which provides a backdrop, these certain trees being a different shade of green than the majority. Incidentally, this writer expects Longacres to break all records this summer, for not only has president Joe Gottstein upgraded the quality of his races, and installed the film patrol as a public confidence builder, but also will make a direct bid for patronage from what many consider the best racing town on the continent, Vancouver, B. C. The Canadians can spend their money in this country freely now, you know, and while there is racing week days in Vancouver, Sunday sport at Longacres in days gone by proved popular with British Columbians. In fact, Gottstein will stage a special day for the Canadians on July 27 with the running of the British Columbia Handicap, and a flock of special busses will bring the visitors south over the border for the day of sport. AAA Add names of horses we dont fancy: Dog Catcher at Hollywood Park and Tin Khan down at Caliente . . . John DeBlois Wack is temporarily retiring from racing for the usual reasons, but we expect to see his silks back stronger than ever in 1954 Caliente s general manager, Walter C. Marty, will be back at his desk this Sunday, completely recovered from surgery undergone two weeks ago. He has scheduled this week-end of July 6 for his annual turf fishing expedition to Ensenada, one of the highlights 67 the summer social season on the West Coast . . . Edward Lasker has returned from a flying visit to Kentucky to inspect his bloodstock holdings there . Hollywood Park officials welcomed the news that Marcador, winner of the Golden Gate Derby, is returning from Chicago to try his luck in The Westerner. Colt is owned by Ayison «fe Prestridge of Alamagordo, New Mexico Thats a good story, and true, about Ben Lindheimer. His first words, after getting out of the oxygen tent, were "How did the opening of Lincoln Fields go?". Hollywood Park has a guy who does nothing but handle labor relations . . . And in case you are interested in how fussy the track can get to see that everything is done in the approved Hollywood Park manner, i.e., the best, new thumb tacks are being used to post the photo finish pictures for public view. The old ones, it seems, were rusty.
